The local government of Makati City is planning to convert 400 classrooms in public schools into smart classrooms equipped with modern technology such as interactive whiteboards, notebook tablets, and unlimited internet access.
According to Mayor Abigail Binay, 200 Hybrid Interactive Boards (HIBs) have already been distributed, with 119 HIBs installed in elementary schools and 81 in secondary schools.
Each HIB unit comes with an Android 11.0 intelligent operating system, 5G wireless internet access, and a 4K touchscreen whiteboard with multi-gesture writing features.
Students will also have access to notebook tablets connected to the school’s Learning Management System (LMS), and unlimited internet access during class sessions.
The smart classrooms aim to reduce the administrative workload for teachers and provide more time for student-centered activities.
Charging stations are also being installed in the schools to make them readily available to students and ensure continuous use of their digital devices during learning activities.
“We aim to incorporate IoT (Internet of Things) devices into 400 smart classrooms and expand this initiative in the near future,” said Binay.
“Our goal is to continuously provide quality education and modern instructional resources that meet the demands of the 21st century,” she added.
Mayor Binay said students in smart classrooms will be provided with individual notebook tablets on their desks, allowing them to directly submit answers for exercises, worksheets, or exams provided by their teachers.
Learning analytics tools integrated into the LMS will help reduce the administrative workload for teachers in assessing and evaluating student performance.
“The assessment scores of students can be accurately reported through a smart classroom’s HIB,” explained Binay.
“This approach will save time, decrease paperwork, reduce teachers’ administrative burdens, and allow more time for student-centered activities and the development of teaching strategies and innovations in their smart classrooms,” she added.
The city chief executive said the program demonstrates Makati City’s commitment to exceeding expectations in providing quality education.
“Our public school facilities and equipment are comparable to those in top private schools. We believe our students deserve the best educational services a local government can offer. The dedication of our city’s teachers will lead to improved learning outcomes,” she said.
From October to November 2023, some 692 public school teachers in Makati received hands-on training in the Intensive Hybrid Interactive Smart Classroom Television Orientation and Hands-on Training program across various schools.